Two
by Ayeliyn
Summary: "I.. need to go to the hospital. Could you take me, please? I'd ask my boyfriend, but he's… not talking to me." That one request made everything different for the two strangers. (Posted to AO3 under the same name)
1. A Long, Weary Day

They'd pass by each other with a simple _hello_ as they went to their respective apartments. The two of them lived next-door to each other, and Ren would always wake up to the sounds of yelling and something breaking while someone cried.

Today was no exception. Ren woke, at exactly 5:40am, to the same noises and this time, a loud _bang!_ accompanied it. As if someone had thrown someone against something. He wanted to file a noise complaint but, after hearing the stories of the people upstairs, he'd have to try something else.

The noise stopped, thankfully, and Ren pulled himself out of bed and went to take a shower and get ready for the day. He was opening the store, which would take a while and he wanted to get there as early as possible.

When he was in the shower, the noise started again and this time there were audible voices. Someone was yelling while the other was crying and begging for help. But no one was helping. Turning off the shower, he dried off and pulled on his work clothes as the noise ceased again. Maybe he should file a noise complaint.

Today was really weird.

After work, Ren stopped by his favourite restaurant and bought food enough for five to take home so he'd have something to eat that day that he didn't have to cook. He was exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. Giving a yawn as he fumbled with his keys, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"..Um, Mr. Neighbor..?" It was the girl he'd always pass in the hall. She looked like she hadn't slept in ages, and was wearing a weary smile. Ren put his apartment keys in his pocket, turning to face her. She was holding her arm, and it looked like there was blood seeping through the bandages. A bad patch-work job, if he had to say anything about it.

"Yeah?" He really just wanted to sleep but, it looked like he wouldn't be getting any sleep until the neighbor girl walked away. He couldn't leave her with such a shoddy bandaging, though.

"I.. need to go to the hospital. Could you take me, please? I'd ask my boyfriend, but he's... not talking to me," she said, glancing at the ground. Her eyes saw the bag of take-out he was carrying and she worried she was interrupting his dinner. Instead of protesting and saying no, like she was worried he would, Ren gave a nod.

"Sure. Come on, my car isn't too far," Ren let her follow him to a green Buick LeSabre, which looked to be in good condition. He, surprisingly, unlocked and opened the door for her and helped her sit inside before shutting the door and picking up the take-out, putting it in the back seat. Pulling out his keys, he went to sit in the driver's seat. Shutting the door and pulling on the seatbelt, he adjusted his mirror to help him see out the back better and did a few checks to make sure everything was okay before starting the car and pulling out, heading onto the road.

The drive was made mostly in silence, except for the girl's few sobs. He wanted to ask how she'd gotten hurt but felt as if it was a personal matter regarding the noises from her apartment. Once he'd made it to the hospital, he helped her out and got the food.

"Are you.. hungry?" He asked, deciding to share some with her. She gave a small nod and, once they were inside and she was checked in and waiting for someone to see her, he pulled out one of the containers and a plastic spork. She was more than hungry. It seemed she hadn't eaten in a while and she devoured the food in under fifteen minutes and asked, quietly, for more. Ren gave her another container and she ate that, too.

Left with three containers of food, he decided to eat one as well so he'd at least have something to eat. The girl ended up eating the last two, seeing as Ren thought she was still hungry, and the containers and sporks were disposed of as they waited.

"Nora Valkyrie!" The nurse called. Nora stood up and Ren, not wanting her to go alone, went with her as they were taken to one of the rooms in the back so she could be examined and helped. Ren started shaking a bit but took a deep breath to calm down and walked with her. The nurse started asking a lot of questions about the wound.

"..I fell.." She muttered. "It hurt."

It was a lie, and both the nurse and Ren knew it. "It has to do with the noises I hear every morning at nearly six, right?"

Nora gasped in surprise before lowering her head and nodding. "..Yes. He.. he got me good with his survival knife this morning so I.. I had to sneak out to get my neighbor to take me to the hospital!"

"Classic abuse.." The nurse shook her head. "Don't worry, sweetie, everything's okay."

Nora nodded as the nurse took some blood tests and gave her a shot before her and a doctor, named Pyrrha Nikos, stitched and properly bandaged the wound before sending the two off. Nora, surprisingly, had gotten a couple of lollipops from Pyrrha and actually had cried and hugged the doctor before they were sent home.

Ren stopped by a different restaurant, one that Nora had looked at and commented about having wanted to try the food there. The two of them sat in the restaurant and Ren paid for the food despite Nora's protests she could pay for her share. The two of them ate and talked, and Nora spilled what happened at the apartment. Her boyfriend was controlling and jealous, and when she wasn't home when he expected her to be he always thought she was cheating on him. And today wouldn't be any different. She shuddered to think of having to go home.

Giving her hair a ruffle, Ren just smiled and stole one of her fries, which made her steal some of his coffee. The two of them had a fun time eating and heading home, acting like old friends. When they got out, however, there was a man who looked like one of those stereotypical buff football players. Ren wasn't scared, however, knowing he could take down this steroid-taking loser. The man grabbed Nora by her injured arm and Ren knocked him back and inspected her arm before giving her his keys and telling her to get out of there and to his apartment where she'd be safe. A couple of people, the neighbors from upstairs, noticed them and Nora with Ren's keys and Ren ushered her to them before her boyfriend punched him.

"You fuckin' with my girl, bitch?" He asked. Ren wiped his mouth before staring up at him. Fucking with his girl? By taking her to the hospital because of him?

"I was only taking her to the hospital and _you_ might've screwed up her stitches," He dusted himself off, as if washing his hands of the situation.

It didn't seem to fly, and another punch was thrown. Ren, remembering his training, dodged out of the way before immediately retaliating by hitting a few pressure points that had the other man recoiling in pain. It was quick and over before either of them could do anything else, as the cops had been called. Ren rubbed his bruising cheek while the jock started complaining that Ren had hit him first but there was no evidence except on the complex's security cameras.

A quick review of them showed the full scene. Nora's injured arm getting grabbed, Ren separating them and getting Nora away before getting hit as he turned to face the other man, who was saying something illegible. Ren retaliated, but no marks showed on the man as he recoiled back in pain.

However, due to the jock's outstanding warrant for arrest, Ren was let off the hook for self defence while the jock was taken away. He returned to his apartment and tried getting in, seeing it was locked. Nora must have barricaded herself in there. Giving a sigh, he knocked.

Nora must've seen him, because she unlocked and opened the door. Giving her a weary smile, he walked inside and ended up on the couch, falling asleep.

For a moment, he could've sworn he heard Nora saying 'thank you' before he drifted off.


	2. Nora's day at Ren's

Nora didn't know how her neighbor had slept so soundly. Or why he'd been so nice to her. Most of the men in her life had, undoubtedly, been the 'nice guys' who always ended up abusing her in one way or the other. Following the doctor's instructions that had been printed out and given to her, she changed the bandaging on her arm and wondered how she'd take a shower with such a bad wound. Would it hurt?

Deciding not to risk it, Nora played with the TV for a bit before wandering around the apartment. It was small, but seemed cozy and like a real home. She checked the time before wandering into the kitchen to try and make pancakes. It was her favourite food, and the smell of burnt pancakes probably woke the sleeping neighbor.

He was slightly coughing as he walked into the kitchen and picked her up, removing her from the kitchen before assessing the damage and making pancakes. It had taken him less time than her to churn out those fluffy golden-brown cakes onto a plate and giving her it. Before Nora realized what was happening, syrup and butter accompanied the pancakes and her neighbor sat down at the table, motioning for her to sit down with him.

They ate in silence for a majority of the time before Nora realized how _good_ the pancakes tasted and gave him a thumbs up before swallowing what she had in her mouth and licking the syrup off her lips.

"So, um.." Nora cut some of the pancakes. "..What was your name?"

"Lie Ren," her neighbor said, "But usually, everyone calls me Ren."

"Okay. Ren it is!" Nora gave him a smile. "Sooo, do you usually get up this early?"

He shook his head. "Usually, no. But it's hard not to when someone's burning pancakes in the kitchen."

Nora gave a sheepish laugh and the two continued to eat their pancakes, talking about different subjects like the weather, what the two women upstairs were up to, the noises that the rest of the residents made that made Nora wonder what they did. Ren nearly choked on his pancakes and waved it to a new subject until he realized what time it was. He bolted from the table to his room, and then to the bathroom. About ten minutes later he was haphazardly buttoning his shirt and fixing his pants.

"...Um.. so I guess I should be going now." Nora stood up. "Thanks for the food."

"You can stay here." Ren motioned for her to sit. "I'll ask Ruby to keep an eye on you. I don't want anything happening like yesterday."

Nora gave a nod, shuffling over to the couch without protest. Ren blinked for a couple moments before remembering what the nurse said. "I'm just looking out for you. If you need to sleep, use my bed. I'm not going to hurt you, all right?"

"Okay.." Nora nodded. As Ren left, he heard his bedroom door close.

She was probably really tired from yesterday.

* * *

><p>"..Wake up. You don't wanna miss lunch, now do you?"<p>

Nora groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. "I don't want to..."

"But I made you some sandwiches.. And there's cookies, too."

_Cookies?_ Immediately, she sat up without a regard to the pillow and looked at the owner of the voice. A girl with a very strange haircut and red fringe that complimented her hair. She was holding a plate and a cup, both of which she gave to Nora. Hungry, Nora ate it all and gave the plate back before downing whatever was in the cup. The girl seemed really happy about this, and headed back to the kitchen. Nora almost went back to sleep but the girl was back in a flash.

"So, Ren asked me to look after you." The girl stated, holding out her hand. "I'm Ruby Rose. I live upstairs with my sister, Yang. I was one of the ones who took you to Ren's when he asked. The other was a school friend, Weiss. She lives with Blake next-door to me."

"Oh.." Nora blinked. "So.. Ren's... trying to keep me here?"

"Well, to make sure you heal up right and that you'll stay safe. He's got good intentions. I mean, he drove you to the hospital."

"...Do you mean.. He doesn't want to just have sex with me?" Nora fidgeted a little. Ruby shook her head and ruffled Nora's hair.

"Nope."

"You sure...?"

"Positive. Ren's not the type to see a girl and just get down and dirty with her. He was in a relationship with my sister before. They never did anything. The only part they ever got to was him sort of.. giving her a back massage? I mean I kinda walked in on it."

"Oh my gosh!"

"Yep. Although Ren had his clothes on. I guess he doesn't like getting intimate with women. Yang never told me why, either. She said he was good with his hands, though... which kinda blows my theory full of holes and then some."

Nora blinked. Good with his hands? "...He's.. oh my gosh." She blushed brightly, hiding her face in her hands and giggling a lot. The two women spent the majority of the day gossipping and just having a good time when the door unlocked and Ren came home, looking extremely worn out.

"Rough day?" Ruby asked, grabbing the bags out of Ren's hands and putting them away. "Nora, take him to bed. He looks like he needs to sleep. He's been pulling a double shift all year.. It's a wonder he hasn't keeled over yet.."

"S'fine.." Ren mumbled, falling onto the couch. "..Comfy here.."

"No, Ren. To your room." Ruby sounded like a concerned mother, walking over and pulling him up off the couch. "Come on.. We'll have dinner when you wake up, okay?"

"Mmph." Ren grudgingly went along and was asleep in bed when Ruby came back. She noted Nora had taken up the couch and gave a smile, covering her up with a blanket before heading to the kitchen to start cooking dinner.


End file.
